Results

We’ve all been through a major software upgrade at work, and we’ve all experienced the training hiccups and usability headaches that follow. Traditional enterprise software is complicated, clunky, and difficult to learn. At my last job, an upgrade of our inventory database and customer service software paralyzed the company for weeks because the new system was so hard to use. Training was time-consuming and complex, and even the IT department was confused about how to perform our usual tasks. However, the days of impossible enterprise software are nearly behind us, as new offerings are mimicking the ease-of-use of our favorite websites. By incorporating web usability standards and familiar interfaces, new business software tools are edging out the clunky competition.

One such innovator is SuccessFactors, a San Mateo, California-based SaaS company which provides employee performance monitoring tools to businesses all over the globe. Their on-demand platform allows employees to create personalized profiles and set goals, monitor projects, and fill out evaluations. One of SuccessFactors clients, Belkin International, told the Wall Street Journal, “Most people just went in and used it [the program], no problem.” SuccessFactors purposefully used a familiar interface for their product to eliminate the need for ongoing training and tutorials, which can cost companies thousands of dollars and man hours.

CEO Lars Dalgaard says the system is “very much like an enterprise Facebook,” and the profile page was built on a social networking model. Employees can connect through personalized profiles, which display information such as work history, education, professional training/certifications, and a personal photo. Belkin uses this feature so that employees in different offices can get to know each other, despite having never met. By mimicking the look, feel, and ease-of-use of popular sites like Facebook, SuccessFactors can cut down the time it takes for employees to begin using their tools.

Another good example of this is Salesforce.com’s on-demand enterprise software. With over 1.1 million subscribers, Salesforce’s sales management service is one of the most successful tools in the SaaS industry. CEO Marc Benoiff told the Wall Street Journal that his visions, “was basically a replica of the Amazon.com user interface.” Training offered for the program is minimal, since many employees who use the internet on a regular basis are already comfortable with sites like Amazon, Ebay, or Facebook.

Some of the traditional website features that have sneaked into business software include “progress trackers”, which tell employees their “profile is 25% complete” or their goals are “65% completed”. Other packages have used a color-coded system to indicate progress on projects or documents, which gives employees immediate access to the information they need most. Many have incorporated search functions based on web algorithms, and sharing tools that automatically send emails to collaborators when changes have been made to a product or document. RSS feeds, like those used to stay up on favorite blogs and websites, are sneaking into enterprise systems so employees can follow the progress of a project or goal.

Both Salesforce and SuccessFactors are web-based, so it was only natural to apply web usability standards to their products. This trend, however, is likely to expand to traditional software companies who are daily losing market share to SaaS products. Both Oracle and SAP posted below-expected earnings for the quarter, and they are struggling to compete with innovative interlopers like Salesforce and SuccessFactors. Poor usability not only frustrates businesses, but also costs them money in training, man hours, and ultimately customer service. Perhaps user experience and usability should take on a greater role in their development process, as it clearly matters to businesses who use their products.

Thursday, May 1st, 2008 You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

By Haley January Eckels